Former West Linn soccer coach Leonetti arrested on charges of sex abuse

Leonetti is being held at Clackamas County Jail

Former West Linn High School girls soccer coach Joseph Leonetti was arrested at his Oregon City residency on June 12 and charged with five counts of suspected first-degree sexual abuse.

Detectives from the Clackamas County Sheriff Office's Child Abuse Team and the Oregon City Police Department apprehended Leonetti on charges that he abused a 12-year-old girl on an Oregon City club team he coaches, the name of which has yet to be released.

The abuse is suspected to have taken place in the fall and winter of 2012, and according to Sheriff's Deputy Mark Nikolai, the victim was not related to Leonetti.

Leonetti is being held at Clackamas County Jail on $1.25 million bail.

The sheriff's office is concerned about the prospect of other victims and urges anyone with information about suspicious or questionable activity involving Leonetti to call the county sheriff's tip line at 503-723-4949, or send a text to CRIMES (274637) using the keyword "CCSO" as the first word in the message.

Leonetti, 43, coached the Lions from 1997 to 2006. He attended and played soccer at Gladstone High School, and moved on to play at the University of Portland from there.

Leonetti was twice a member of the U.S. National Team, in 1992 and 1996, and played in a number of professional leagues before moving into coaching.

Aside from his stint at WLHS, he coached at FC Portland Academy in Hillsboro until 2010.